OFFICES AND SPACES
The cubicles, semi-private work areas which
are surrounded by partitions, are most
criticized for their resemblance to cages. They
can remind the worker of monotony and
imprisonment. Franklin Becker, the director of
a workplace studies program at Cornell
University,
believes
cubicles
“provide
pseudo-privacy at best, and are terrible for
spontaneous communication.”
A private office is also seen as an obstacle for
employees to build contact while open offices
are good for companies for a number of
reasons. Firstly, they cost less because they use
less electricity to heat or cool. In addition,
businesses can save on equipment because
people are sharing resources such as printers
and photocopiers. Since there are no walls or
barriers between workstations, staff can learn
from each other and interact more efficiently.
Thus, Becker believes four to eight-person
team offices are ideal because people spend
most of their time in teams.
For most companies, the design of the office
space is very important. The office space
should help employees to work more
efficiently, concentrate on their work and work
better in a team. For most companies, the
design of the office space is very important. In
the past few decades, there has been a shift
away from the traditional private offices and
cubicles found in the workspaces of the 1980s
to open-plan offices. Whether for productivity
or financial reasons, many companies adopt an
open space office layout, where teams of
workers are clustered together.
⇒
Michael Brill, a workplace-planning consultant
in Buffalo, holds a different view. According to
Brill, the top two predictors of job performance
are: 1) the ability for teams and individuals to
do work without distraction, and 2) the ability
to have easy, frequent, informal interactions.
On the other hand, many employees prefer
closed offices, mainly because there is less
noise and it’s easier to concentrate. Therefore,
he believes that having a private office lends
itself to a more productive work environment.
Another issue at question is absenteeism.
When people work in an open environment,
there is a greater risk of catching a disease
when somebody is ill, and when employees are
absent, the company is less productive.
Clearly, designing the ideal workspace is a
complex task. Employers might be better off
asking their workers what they prefer.
1. In the text, find the English equivalents for the words and phrases below.
1. нагадувати працівникам про;
6. схожість з;
2. зсув;
7. дотримуватись іншої думки;
3. проблемне питання;
8. перешкода;
4. у кращому випадку;
9. ув’язнення;
5. розташування;
2. Match the words with their meaning as used in the text.
1. cluster (verb)
2. partition
3. monotony
4. collaboration
5. pseudo6. spontaneous
7. distraction
8. lend itself to (verb)
9. better off
10. absenteeism
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
unplanned, impromptu
dullness, repetitiveness
division, wall
diversion, disturbance
false, not genuine
cooperation
come together in a group
be suitable for something
absence from school or work
better level of comfort
3. Discuss the questions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What kind of office do you prefer?
What do you think of open-plan offices?
Would you like to work in a different office? Why?
What does the author believe is the most obvious criticism of cubicles?
According to Franklin Becker, what should companies promote?
List the advantages and disadvantages of different types of offices.
4. Find the examples of the passive voice.